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l] affyz' N. PETERS. PHOTO-UTHOGUFHER. WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED i STATES PATENT OEEICE.

JACOB H. FORSHAY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CORPSE-PRESERVER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 235,863, dated December 28, 1880.

Application filed August 12,'1880. (Nomodel.)

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jncon H. FoRsHAY, of the city of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corpse Preservers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in

which- Figure 1 is atop view; Fig. 2, a side eleva'- tion; and Fig. 3 a plan view, with the upper part or ice-chamber removed to exhibit the receptacle for the body. Fig. 41s a longitudinal vertical section taken on the line w w, Fig. l; Fig. 5, a vertical section taken on the line z z, Fig. 2 5 and Fig. 6, a vertical section taken on the line yy, Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is an end elevation, showing the combined water-gage and faucet; Fig. 8, a vertical section of the combined water-gage and faucet open, so as to connect with the water in the bottom chamber of the apparatus. Fig. 9 represents an outside elevation of the combined water-gage and faucet; Fig. 10, a section, showing the combined water-gage and faucet closed; and Fig. l1, another section, showing the same open for discharging the water.

The same letters indicate like parts in all the figures.

The object of my invention is to produce a corpse-preserver which, while being fully as effective in itsoperation, will present none of the objectionable features of the old-fashioned ice-box in use for many .years past, and which is now occasionally used in severe cases. This old-fashioned box is simply a common wooden box, in the bottom of which ice isplaced, the body being laid on this bed of ice and covered completely, with the exception of the face, with ice. This box is placed on horses or benches or other supports, and a tub or other receptacle placed beneath it to catch the water from the melting ice as it escapes through a hole in the bottom of the box. This old method is very objectionable to many persons, for the reason that the ice is brought in direct coutact vwith the body, and, besides, the whole contrivance presents a crude and unhandsome appearance, and the constant dripping of the water falling from the box into' the tub is also a very serious objection, especially to sensitive people.

Many attempts have heretofore been made to construct a corpse preserver t0 overcome the objections to the old-fashioned box and at the same time be equally as efficient. In all these improved corpse-preserving boxes now in use the body is placed upon a perforated board or support on the bottom of the box, and the ice is placed in pans in the top of the box, which pans can be removed and replaced at will. In some of these boxes the water, as fast as the ice melts, is conducted off and discharged through a tube or pipe into a tub or other receptacle, while in others, in order to dispense with the tub or other receptacle, the water is allowed to remain in the pans with the ice until they are removed, or occasionally drawn off by means of a siphon. Although these improved boxes present a handsome casket-likev appearance, yet they are far less effective in their operation than the old-fashioned ice-box above mentioned, and cannotbe depended upon with any 'certainty except in ordinary cases, as they only tend to freeze the face and front part of the body, and have little or no effect on the back, the very place Where the blood settles and decomposition generally first takes place, so that in very many cases the old-fashioned ice-box, with all its objectionable features, has to be resorted to.

By my inventionI'am enabled to construct a corpse-preserving casket of ornamental appearance, and in which all parts of the body are acted upon equally and effectively, and all :tendency to decomposition surely arrested, no l matter how severe the case may be.

My invention consistsI in constructing the casket in two equal, or nearly equal, parts, closely tted together and lined throughout with zinc or other suitable material. In the lower part of the casket, and a suitable distance above the bottom, I place a coffin-shaped box or receptacle, preferably made of galvanized iron, for holding the body to be preserved. This coffin-shaped receptacle'is supported on shoulders or dan ges attached to the inner walls of the casket, and the walls of this receptacle extend up to, or nearly to, the top of the walls of the lower part of the casket, and the body lies in the bottom of this receptacle upon a IOO support, preferably made of wood and perforated, this perforated support beingprovided with a rest at one end for the head ot' the body, which can be raised or lowered to elevate or depress the head. The space beneath and around the body-receptacle forms a chamber for the reception and retention ofthe water from the meltingice in the ice-chamber, which is located in the upper part of thecasket, the water being conducted into this bottom chamber from the ice-chamber by means of a pipe or pipes. The upper part of the casket directly over the ice-chamber is fitted with a suitable top or cover, which can be taken off when charging the ice-chamber, and the forward or` head end with a glass panel to permit a view of the face and bust ot' the corpse.

My invention also consists in providing the ice-chamber with pipes or tubes extending from near the top of the same and above the ice down into the cold-air chamber, in which the body-receptacle is placed, through which the cold air can circulate, these pipes or tubes being provided with caps or covers which can be put on, when charging the ice-chamber, to closecommunicationbetween the cold-airchamber and the outside atmosphere.

My inventionv also consists in providing one end of the lower part of the casket with a combined water-gage and faucet for indicating the height of the waterin the bottom chamber and for discharging it from such chamber as occasion requires.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, A B represent my improved corpse-preserving casket, which is constructed of two equal, or nearly equal, parts, and of any suitable size and shape. I construct it, preferably, of some hard wood lined with zinc. In the upper part, A, is located the ice-chamber C, which is pro vided with a removable cover or top, D, having knobs or handles a, and in the forward or head end of part A is itted a glass panel, E, through which a view can be had of the face and bust of the corpse, the ice-chamber extending on each side of this glass panel, and these portions of the ice-chamber being` also provided with removable covers b and knobs or handles c.

- In the lower part, B, of the casket, and at a suitable distance above the bottom thereof, I place the body-receptacle F, which I preferably construct of galvanized iron and in the shape of a cofn. This body-receptacle is supported in place'on shoulders or flanges projecting from the inner walls of part B of the casket, and its walls extend up to, or nearly to, the top of said walls of part B. In the bottom of this receptacle F is placed the body to be preserved on a support, G, which I preferably make ofwood and perforated, as shown, and which is provided at one end with a headrest, d, capable of being raised and lowered to elevate or depress the head of the body, as desired.

The ice-chamber C is provided with two or more pipes or tubes,ff, (two being shown in which can be put on when the top or cover 0f theice-chamber is removed, to close communication with the cold-air chamber.

` H is the ice-water chamber, located in the bottom of part B of the casket, and extending underneath and around the outer walls of the body-receptacle F. The water, as fast as the ice melts in the ice-chamber C, is conducted from such chamber through a pipe or pipes, e, into this chamber H, and there retained, imparting its cold to the bottom and sides of the body-receptacle F.

rIo prevent the water from overflowing the body-receptacle F, I attach to one end of the lower part, B, of the casket, near the bottom, a combined water-gage and faucet, I, the construction of which will be readily understood from the drawings, for indicating the height of water in chamber H, and discharging it therefrom as occasion requires. When this gage-faucet I is in an upright position communication is established with the water in chamber H, and the height of the water in said chamber correctly indicated. By turning the gage-faucet to the right, as shown byFig. l1, the water can be discharged from chamber H into any suitable receptacle provided to receive it; and by turning the gage-faucet to the left, as shown by Fig. 10, all communication between it and the chamber H is cut off', and no water can escape from said chamber.

To prevent air from entering through the gage-faucet, as well as to sustain itin an upright position, I provide it with a cap or cover, g, which is made flat on top and swelled or convex on the under face, and hinged to the casket, just above the flaring open top of the gage-faucet, so that by turning down this hinged cap g the swelled lower part will fit into the flaring open top of the faucet, thus effectually closing it and preventing it from turning, and by turning up the hinged cap g the gage-faucet will be released, and can then be turned to the right or left, as required.

The mode of operating my improved corpsepreserver is as follows: The upper part, A, being lifted off, the corpse is placed in proper position on the perforated support G, in the bottom of the receptacle F. 'Ihe part A is then replaced and the covers D b b of the ice-chamber C taken of. The ice chamber is then charged or packed with nely-chopped ice intermixed with rock-salt to facilitate the melting, the caps or covers being placed on the air tubes or pipes f f durin g the packing of the ice-chamber. When the ice-chamber has been thus sufciently packed the caps or covers are removed from the tubes or pipes f f, and the covers IOO IIO

D b b ot' the ice-chamber put. on. As fast as the ice melts in chamber C the water is conducted from said chamber, through the pipe or pipes e, into the chamber H, underneath and around the walls of the body-receptacle F, where it is retained.

From the foregoing it will be seen that by keeping the receptacle for the body continually immersed in the ice-water it will get ntensely cold, and impart this cold to the body contained within it, and that this, together Withtbe cold air passing down through the pipes or tubes f f, and through the bottom of the ice-chamber, under and around the body, through the perforated support G, on which it lies, will subject every part of the body to intense cold, and thereby arrest and prevent all tendency to decomposition, and keep the body in a perfect state of preservationa resultl. In a corpse-preserver, the combination of 3o the ice chamber C, air tubes or pipes ff, provided with caps or covers, pipe or pipes e, body-receptacle F, ice-water chamber H, and faucet-gage I, as and for the purpose substantiallyvas described.

2. In a corpse-preserver, the combination of the ice-chamber C, pipe or pipes e, body-receptacle F, and ice-water chamber H, as and for the purpose substantially as described;

3. In a corpse-preserver, the combination of the ice-water chamber H, located under and around the walls of the body-receptacle F, and the combined water-gage and faucet I, substantially as described.

4. In a corpse-preserver, the combination of an ice-chamber arranged above the body-receptacle, a water-chamber arranged below and partially surrounding such body receptacle, and pipes for connecting such chambers to convey the melted ice or ice-water from the former to the latter, whereby the body is inclosed by a refrigerant, substantially as described.

JAcoB H. roasHAY.

Witnesses:

THoMAs GRONAN, A. J. DE LACY. 

